Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Economics Research Institute Study Paper
Volume
1
Publisher
Utah State University Department of Economics
Publication Date
2008
Rights
Copyright for this work is held by the author. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information contact the Institutional Repository Librarian at digitalcommons@usu.edu.
First Page
1
Last Page
33
Abstract
This paper reports results from a public good experiment conducted in the African nation of Botswana. Our findings provide a test of whether' African communalism' influences willingness to contribute to the provision of public goods. As globalization expands markets, and economies such as Botswana's continue to modernize, there is an increasing need to understand how cultural factors might influence the valuation of public goods. We find evidence that stated willingness to contribute to a public good in a hypothetical setting is higher than actual contribution levels in a real setting. However, this is only true in the second and final round of the experiment, when participants in the real setting have learned to significantly lower their contribution levels. The results draw into question the existence of a communal spirit in economically emergent Africa when it comes to the provision of public goods.
Recommended Citation
Caplan, Arthur J.; Aadland, David; and Macharia, Anthony, "Communalism Versus the Incentive to Free-Ride: Experimental Results From Economically Emergent Africa" (2008). Economic Research Institute Study Papers. Paper 337.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/eri/337